Tile Shower Mold: The Best Ways To Deal With It

Last Updated: April 28, 2019

Have you found yourself with a case tile shower mold?

There are tens of thousands of kinds of mold in the world. Some are more harmful to our health than others. With prolonged exposure, some molds can even cause problems including bronchitis, allergic reactions, heart problems, multiple sclerosis, and even cancer!

Now, I’m no mold expert, so we won’t be going in depth on the issue of what mold is and does, but I do know it when I see it…and we for sure don’t want it hanging around in our house, do we!?

So, in this article, I’m going to fill you in on:

The best ways to rid your tile shower of that pesky mold & mildew

How to prevent it from coming back

And what to do if the issue is a little more serious than just cleaning will take care of

You want your shower looking like this…

Not like this…

Anywhere there is moisture for a prolonged amount of time, even as little as 24 hours or longer, mold can grow. Common places are around windows that condense in the winter, under sinks, room corners and on baseboard, basements, and behind drywall where plumbing is. But the most common place in all the house is…you guessed it…the shower!

How To Remove Tile Shower Mold & Mildew

Although here at Tile Shower DIY we mainly focus on helping homeowners create the new custom tile shower of their dreams, with How-To and Inspiration articles, we get a lot of questions from readers regarding how to keep their existing showers looking sparkling clean, free from that gross mold and mildew build-up we all know.

If you have mold in your existing shower and you’re wanting to clean the surface of the tile, a mixture of one gallon water, one cup bleach, and 1/2 cup detergent, should do the trick in killing the mold and helping remove the stain from the surface.

To get rid of mildew in your shower, spray hydrogen peroxide on it, let it sit for an hour, and then rinse.

You can also find several good products online made for killing/cleaning mold problems…

The Best Shower Cleaners

You could browse through Amazon’s products for days trying to find what you think is the best of something. But you won’t have to do that to find the best shower cleaner, because we’ve done the homework and research for you. We took into consideration products’ reviews, ratings, prices, features, and brand reputations, to come up with a short list of the best you can buy for keeping your tile shower mold & mildew free!

Wet & Forget Shower Cleaner

Wet & Forget Shower is a no-scrub weekly cleaner. You simply spray on shower walls and door after your shower today, and rinse it clean when you shower tomorrow! It has a bleach-free formula that prevents soap scum & grime build-up, and also cleans mold and mildew stains. It comes in a container that should last for 12 weekly uses.

Don’t get confused with Spray & Forget, which is intended for outdoor use only. The FAQ page on Spray & Forget’s website shows this as an answer to somebody’s question about using their product for cleaning a shower:

A Less-Harsh Chemical Option: Melaleuca’s Tub & Tile Cleaner

Many people clean the shower while taking a shower, on a daily or weekly basis, and want something they feel is filled with less-harsh, less-toxic chemicals that they can be sure aren’t harmful to them and their family.

I know that’s how we are, and that’s why we personally use products from Melaleuca, including their “Tub & Tile” bathroom cleaner. Feel free to email me if you want more information about this and Melaleuca’s other great products.

Ways To Prevent The Tile Shower Mold & Mildew From Returning

Daily or weekly cleaning of your shower is the best way to ensure you keep that pesky mold from popping back up. Spray cleaner on tile walls/surround, the faucet, shower head, and other accessories, and leave it for 10-15 minutes. Then scrub everything and rinse thoroughly.

Here are a few things, along with cleaning, you can do:

Keep a squeegee hanging in the shower to remove excess water from glass and tile shower walls after each shower

Remove caulking in corners and around shower doors every year or two, replacing with new

Seal tile grout lines once every year with a grout sealer

Scrubbing Bubbles Automatic Shower Cleaner

This product apparently is still in high demand today, as it has great reviews from customers on Amazon, who say they love it and that it keeps the shower quite clean without them having to do the cleaning manually.

But the manufacturer discontinued this item years ago, so the only ones you’ll find are what’s left from production, being sold by various sellers on Amazon. And you likely know how supply & demand works: with a scarce supply but still high demand, the price is quite high. These Scrubbing Bubbles Automatic Shower Cleaners originally sold for around $40, so beware the markup you’ll be paying if you buy this. With that said, if you have heard great things about it from others and know it’s what you want, perhaps the price is worth it to you…that decision is totally up to you.

BioBarrier Zero VOC Mold Prevention Spray

This spray cleaner is non-toxic, being Zero VOC it has no harmful fumes, and is non-corrosive. The product description says it binds at the molecular level so it will resist being rinsed away, lasting 100s of wet-dry cycles. It’s not intended for removing existing mold & mildew, but is supposed to kill mold spores and keep new from popping up.

It comes in a one gallon container, so you could fill a hand sprayer bottle with it and keep it handy near the shower, applying a new coat to the shower every few months.

What If The Mold Is More Serious?

If the mold has persisted for a long amount of time, there is a good likelihood it has grown throughout the drywall and the wood within the framing of the walls, floor, and ceiling.

The best move here is to remove the shower material, drywall, and everything else infected with the mold. Many times, people don’t even realize the full extent of how bad the mold was until they start digging in. I have removed old tubs and/or showers, to realize in the end that there were hardly even floor joists left to hold up the floor, from the damage the mold and rot had caused.

When removing the mold contamination, wear protective clothing, gloves, eye protection, and a mask or respirator. I use a professional grade respirator like this 3M model from Amazon.

You just never know if the mold is the kind that’s seriously harmful to your health or not, so it’s best to always to take as many precautions as possible.

Before starting, hang plastic and tape it off in a doorway or hallway, and on air vents to protect airborne mold spores from spreading through the house. When you begin removing mold contaminated drywall, it’s best to go a couple feet past where the mold ends, to be sure to remove all of it.

Finally, before you ever begin rebuilding the shower or repair damaged areas, allow the area to dry and be free of all moisture.

Once the mold-damaged material has been removed and you’re ready to begin reconstructing your shower & bathroom, be sure to check out all of our How-To articles here to learn the proper complete process of building a custom tile shower…one you’ll be happy with and proud of for years to come.

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